Howard lifts Phillies over Mets in ninth

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets

Noah K. Murray / USA Today Sports

May 10, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets third baseman David Wright (5) tags out Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (26) attempting to steal third base in the seventh inning at Citi Field.

May 10, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets third baseman David Wright (5) tags out Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (26) attempting to steal third base in the seventh inning at Citi Field. (Noah K. Murray / USA Today Sports)

The Phillies (17-18) won their second in a row to break a tie for fourth place in the National League East and send the reeling Mets (16-19) tumbling into the cellar with their fifth straight loss.

Mets right-hander Kyle Farnsworth (0-3) retired the first two batters in the ninth before shortstop Jimmy Rollins walked to reach base for the fourth time in five plate appearances. Second baseman Chase Utley followed with a single to right as Rollins raced to third.

Howard then singled to left center and clapped his hands as Rollins trotted home.

Phillies right-hander Mike Adams worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the win. Right-hander Jonathan Papelbon notched his 11th save by working around a two-out walk in the ninth.

Rollins was 3-for-4 with a solo homer and three runs scored for the Phillies. Utley was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and left fielder Dominic Brown added an RBI single.

A tying RBI double by Utley in the seventh took Phillies right-hander Kyle Kendrick off the hook. Kendrick allowed four runs, four hits and two walks while striking out four in 5 1/3 innings. He retired 14 of 15 batters after Wright's first-inning homer before faltering in the sixth, when four of the five batters he faced reached base.

For the Mets -- who stranded six runners between the sixth and eighth -- third baseman David Wright was 3-for-5 with a homer, his first since Opening Day, and three RBIs. First baseman Eric Campbell delivered a pinch-sacrifice fly in his first major league at-bat and right fielder Curtis Granderson had two singles.

Mets right-hander Dillon Gee recovered from a rough first two innings to last six innings for the seventh time in eight starts this season. Gee allowed three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out one. He retired 13 of the final 16 batters he faced after Rollins' second-inning homer.

The two teams combined for five runs in the first two innings -- as many runs as they scored in 11 innings on Friday night, when they combined to leave 32 men on base.

The Phillies took a quick lead against Gee in the first when center fielder Ben Revere led off with a single, stole second, went to third on Rollins' single and scored on Utley's sacrifice fly to center.

Gee then allowed a double to Howard and plunked right fielder Marlon Byrd before Brown delivered his third RBI single of the series to bring home Rollins.

The Mets tied it in the bottom of the inning when center fielder Juan Lagares was hit by a pitch before he was forced at second on a groundout by second baseman Daniel Murphy. Wright then snapped his career-long home run drought at 136 at-bats with a long blast to left.

Rollins puts the Phillies back ahead with two outs in the top of the second when he crushed a solo homer off the advertising signage along the second deck in right field.

NOTES: Drenching pregame rains forced the first pitch to be pushed back 39 minutes to 7:49 p.m. … The Mets recalled IF Eric Campbell from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned 1B Josh Satin to the same affiliate. Campbell, who has never played in the majors, was hitting .355 with three homers and 24 RBIs in 33 games for Las Vegas. Satin hit just .107 with 12 strikeouts in 28 at-bats. … 1B Lucas Duda returned to the lineup for the Mets after missing Friday night's game with a severe case of food poisoning. … Phillies INF Darin Ruf, who has yet to play in the majors this season because of an oblique injury, was scheduled to play in his third rehab game for Class A Clearwater on Saturday. … The Phillies' top pitching prospect, right-hander Ken Giles, made his Triple-A debut on Friday and allowed one run in one inning for Lehigh Valley. Giles had a 1.20 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 15 innings during 13 relief appearances at Double-A Reading.